A counterpoint to Balance
by Somnium Lacertae
Summary: *Genyatta sentai AU* Genji has just started this dating business with Zenyatta, but it seems like the world has different intentions and plans to ruin their dates before they can even start and... and then there's the Cultist. It is difficult to be a sentai ranger...
1. Chapter 1

This was written for tumblr user marsh-mellow-toast for the secret santa genyatta! Chapter 01 out of 3, I hope you ppl here also like it :)

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 **Rating** : I'd say Teen and up

 **Warnings:** angst, hurt/comfort, fighting scenes.

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 **Chapter 01**

Genji looked around, feeling rather proud of himself.

He had pushed the couch away from the middle of the sitting room and to the side so he could fit his table in its place, and then set it for two –a nice, clean tablecloth, porcelain plates, crystal glasses… everything one would need. Yet, the thing that kept attracting his eyes was the ornate candlestick placed inconspicuously in the middle of the table. He felt almost self-conscious about it but pleased all the same, and he had to glance away again, cheeks dusting with red.

It was just a candle, and yet…

To keep his mind busy and stop staring at the obvious romantic setup, Genji walked towards the window, glancing out at the street. He was no cook –at most he could manage a mean ramen dish on his best days– but it did not matter, not tonight… so he'd just ordered pizza.

Not quite a romantic dish, especially with the fine setup, but he was the one who would eat it, and it felt wrong to order expensive, fancy stuff if his date could not enjoy it.

To offset this he'd placed an order for some very expensive oil, the brand that every major place in the city advertised as omnic delicacy. He hoped this would make a good impression, so they could both have something to enjoy other than one another.

He hoped.

He was fidgeting with his jacket when the doorbell rang, startling him; stumbling over himself in his haste to get to the door, he patted down his front to straighten his clothes and pushed the door open to reveal his date, and promptly felt his breath sucked out of him.

"Hello, Genji."

His date, Zenyatta, was standing there not in his normal attire but wearing a pretty turtleneck sweater, and for a moment Genji felt his heart flutter so much it made him feel faint, the soft pale blue of the sweater looking positively heavenly on Zenyatta's metallic frame. "Ah–"

"You look rather dashing," Zenyatta continued, ignoring the way Genji had stuttered. "Is that a new jacket?"

Finally, Genji's brain reconnected with the rest of his body, and he felt his cheeks burn. "I… yes. It's new– I… you also look beautiful. I never saw you wear a sweater before."

For a split second, Genji felt stupid –then Zenyatta giggled, shoulders shaking in mirth, and any embarrassment disappeared, replaced with a bubbly elation; he loved when Zenyatta laughed, the sound following him into his dreams more often than he'd care to admit.

That Zenyatta had agreed to date him after months of growing friendship… oh, Genji considered himself the luckiest man alive.

"I thought I could wear something nice for our date… I'm glad I did." Zenyatta tilted his head to the side, forehead array burning brightly. "Can I come in, now?"

Scrambling to move away from the entrance Genji let him in, wringing his hands together, wondering if it would be ok to lean in and kiss him, because he really wanted to, but what if it was too early, what if–

Zenyatta was suddenly close, face plate brushing against Genji's cheek, and he felt a lick of omnic energy caress his skin in a fluttery kiss before Zenyatta moved away. "I am glad you asked me out on a date, Genji," he murmured, voice soft and amused. "Thank you."

If not in fear of losing whatever little dignity he had left Genji would have slumped on the ground crying hot, grateful tears.

Instead he smiled, bright and happy, and wrapped one arm around Zenyatta's midsection, feeling the softness of the sweater give in where Zenyatta's circuits were not covered by his chassis.

"I'm the one who is grateful, Zen. I wanted to ask you out for… well, a long time," he admitted easily, the remaining flush on his cheeks softening as he smiled. "So… I know you do not eat, but I have found something I hope you will like."

He led Zenyatta into his apartment, and his heart fluttered again when Zenyatta chirped in surprise at the setup. Genji moved to the side, sliding out a chair and motioning for Zenyatta to sit down, which he did, one hand pressed against his mouth piece as he chuckled, then moved to sit in front of him, though not before dimming the lights of the room.

Genji did nothing half-assed.

"This is… incredible, Genji," the smile in Zenyatta's voice made Genji's heart soar. "You did all of this for me?"

"It was… it was nothing. I would do this and more for you," Genji murmured, honest and happy, as he lit the candle between them. "As I said, I've wanted this for… a very long time."

Zenyatta tittered, his fans spinning loudly enough that Genji could hear them, showing how flustered he was by Genji's words.

"I got this for you," Genji was about to present the bottle of expensive omnic oil to Zenyatta when his phone started to ring. "Ah– I'm sor–" fumbling with his phone in a quick attempt to interrupt the call, Genji froze, staring down at the caller ID.

"Is there a problem, my dear?"

"I… I have to take this call, sorry. It's… an emergency, I fear." With a sheepish look, Genji moved to the side and then out of the room, feeling disappointed and worried at the same time, hands shaking as he accepted the call. "Yes?"

On the other side, he could hear Hanzo's voice, a bit rough around the edges, call his name, urgent, sharp. "Genji! You need to come, we have… a situation."

"But– I'm…" he bit down on his lower lip, feeling annoyed at his brother, at the world, hands clenching down around the phone. "I was waiting for this for weeks and now–"

"Genji. I don't know what you are doing, but we need your help. There's a band of monsters attacking the mall, and they're spread out enough that we are not able to track all of them down at once. You need to come."

"Genji, please!" he could hear Jesse's voice echo from somewhere, sounding just as ragged as Hanzo did. "We'd be grateful for some help 'round here!"

Closing his eyes, Genji counted down to three, though he knew already what his answer was.

"… alright. Wait for me, I'm coming."

"Thank you. Whatever it is you wanted to do tonight, we'll make up for it."

With a deep sigh, Genji closed down the call, and straightened his back. He felt dejected, annoyed and defeated, but he knew he had a duty to fulfil, and even dating came second, no matter how much it hurt.

"Zenyatta…?"

He found Zenyatta looking down at his phone, fingers tapping something on it, and then his optical receptors looked up to him. "Yes? Is there a problem? You sound…"

"Yeah I… I'm sorry but… something came up and I need to go. It's an emergency and I didn't want to, and you just got here and–"

"Genji! It's alright. I trust you, it must be something truly important if you have to leave. You looked… happy when I got here. It made me happy, too, but if you want I can… wait? Or is it something that might take you a while?"

Startled, Genji looked at him, then at his own phone. Zenyatta had been at his house often, they were friends before he'd asked him out, so he had no problem letting Zenyatta stay there, but… "will it be ok? I'm… I'm sorry, Zen. I wanted this to be special, I wanted to spend time with you and I thought we could…" unable to hide his disappointment, Genji moved forwards, pressing his forehead against the crook of Zenyatta's collarbone, right between his shoulder and the pistons of his neck. "I'm sorry we didn't even have time to _start_."

"Oh, Genji. It's alright. I know you have a lot of… emergencies, but it's alright. I trust you to do what is right. I do not mind waiting, but if you end up being too late I'll just go home, alright? We can reschedule."

"We… we can?" suddenly hopeful, Genji moved away to look into Zenyatta's optical receptors. "You mean it? I didn't just ruin my chances?"

Again, Zenyatta laughed, amused and pleased. "Genji… you could never ruin your chances with me. I do like you a lot, I can wait. You are worth it."

Fumbling a bit, touched and emotionally compromised, Genji leaned forwards, pressing a flurry of small kisses all over Zenyatta's face plate, feeling it heat under his lips, that delightful laughter making his heart flutter. "Thank you. I'll try to solve this emergency as quickly as I can! I promise!"

When he arrived at the mall, Genji realised that his hopes about ending the emergency quickly might have been a bit too optimistic.

The mall was… trashed, and it was an understatement.

The area had three different buildings all inter-connected with one another, and each wing had its own set of shops and stores, and from where Genji stood, on top of a nearby building, he could see that there were destroyed walls that allowed him to see inside the mall, and the parking lot was also trashed.

"Well… shit," he murmured, cracking his knuckles.

The police and the firefighters were already directing people away from the mall, their lights blaring into the dark, and he hoped no one had gotten hurt.

Genji Shimada, donning the suit of the green sentai ranger, straightened his back and opened his communication device. "Oy, I'm here. Where are you guys?"

Hanzo –his older brother and also part of the sentai force– answered right away. "white sentai and I managed to drag a couple monsters away from the mall and into the deserted construction site on the right, the one where they were planning to build another wing for the mall. Pink sentai and purple sentai are chasing two more monsters towards the pool building on the other side of the block, but there's another monster that seems to be directed towards the school a few blocks away, and we cannot hunt it down. You have to take on that one alone, green sentai. Do you think you can manage?"

Genji cursed under his breath. "Of course! Hang in there, I'll finish with that one and come back to help you."

"Just be wary and don't rush into battle, brother," Hanzo murmured, for a moment breaking his Sentai persona, sounding worried. "We usually fight in groups but this time, we were outnumbered and we feel this might be a planned attack. Take care of yourself."

"I will, brother. Do not worry for me." Genji's voice was warm before he closed down the connection, instantly jumping off the ledge of the building and taking off towards the school district.

At first he could not find any trace of the monster in the dark, with only the streetlights to help him along the way, but he soon picked up on the trail of destruction, following a path of broken down trees and even a few cars that looked stepped over, and he hoped that no one would get hurt before he could hunt down the monster.

It was evening, so the school was closed down, and he was thankful because having to work alone to save kids while stopping a monster would have been too much, but he still needed to get there quickly, or there would be no school in the morning.

It had taken him a bit to get there, as his apartment was quite far and despite his augmented speed Genji was no jet, but it relieved him to see that the trail of destruction was pretty straightforward and once he started to follow it, it did not deviate once, straight towards the school district.

When he did get to the school, though…

It was still standing.

No destruction, no sounds of walls being smashed, no laughter or screaming anywhere… just silence.

There was no monster anywhere.

Genji hesitated, jumping over the fence surrounding the school and into the courtyard, and looked around. There was absolutely no trace of the monster, and nothing seemed broken. It was almost as if the monster had disappeared into thin air.

His hand moved to the communication device, ready to contact Hanzo again and ask for support, when something rustled behind him and he spun around, one hand shooting forwards to summon his sword, and then–

"Greetings."

There, standing in front of him, was the Cultist.

Genji froze, still in position, the glow in his hands not a fully developed blade, but still on edge.

"You," he murmured.

"It is only respectful to offer a greeting when one salutes you first," the Cultist commented, voice almost soft despite the metallic tinge. "Were you seeking something?" he paused, and when Genji did not answer he continued, "… a monster, perhaps?"

"I did find it," Genji answered, coolly, standing back a little. "I found you."

The Cultist chuckled, and the sound made a shiver run down Genji's back.

He could have sworn he'd heard it before, somewhere, except not quite, but he was distracted by having an enemy stand in front of him, so he did not pay much attention to the details.

"Now, now. That is not quite correct, is it? You were chasing down a monster just now… the cause for all this… ruckus." The Cultist pointed a finger in the direction Genji had just come from, though Genji did not wish to turn around. "I must say you are… late."

Genji blinked under his mask, confused. "What… what do you mean?" worry coiled around his stomach.

"I have… already disposed of the monster, you see," the Cultist continued, pressing his fingers together –yet another gesture Genji found oddly familiar. "I did not wish to have our time interrupted."

"… our time?" baffled, Genji took a small step back, then his eyes narrowed and he smirked, though the Cultist could not see it underneath his mask. "I see you wish to be defeated, huh? Well, I can certainly grant you that!"

"If you wish to accompany our amiable talk with some sparring, I would not be against it," the Cultist hummed, seemingly pleased. "There is always much to say, and I cannot deny how pleasant your company is, more so when we are alone, and–"

Genji did not allow him to finish talking, because he dashed forwards, summoning his powers in a flurry of green light shaped into shuriken.

The Cultist moved away at the last moment, avoiding the attack, one of the shuriken nicking the edge of his cape, and landed a few feet away from Genji. "That was particularly rude of you, Green Sentai… usually you'd have the tact to let the opponent talk, first."

"Oh, certainly! You can just keep on talking, while I take you down!" Genji prepared another attack, taking a step forwards.

The Cultist was renowned for his silver tongue, the ability to make others misstep, twist and turn words until his opponents stumbled and hesitated, confused. He had tried often to have his way with Genji, spinning webs of words that had almost managed to make him stop and listen, though his wordplay was mostly confusing, and Genji always had the feeling that the Cultist was trying, and so very hard at that, to communicate something to him that he kept missing.

He also rarely fought, though whenever Genji managed to push him into it, it was always a spectacle to see, as the Cultist knew martial arts to a degree that Genji had not seen before in his life, and if not for the fact that the Cultist worked against him, he would have respected him for those skills.

Genji did not know why the Cultist tried so hard to talk with him –he could understand mutual respect, as Genji was just as good, and there was no false modesty in this admission, since Genji knew his own prowess, but the Cultist also knew that of all people Genji would never be enticed as to change sides.

In fact, Genji sometimes had wondered, in his fascination with this enemy who barely fought, who only used his words, and yet could have fought them into submission without breaking sweat, if he could have tried to entice him to come to _their_ side instead.

Not that he would admit such thing with anyone –especially not his own team, his friends, his brother.

They would call him a fool for hoping that words could do what nothing else could, and yet…

And yet.

Genji still found part of him wishing for that, but he knew not how to achieve it, and in the end, there was still another part of him that not knowing how to proceed, preferred the only kind of conversation he knew how to perform –fighting.

Words could be twisted into things they were not meant to be, and the Cultist was skilled at that, but fighting… that art knew not about hiding.

"You are a frustrating individual, green sentai," the Cultist murmured, and Genji faltered for a split second, as the fondness he could hear in his tone was too real to be faked. "Yet all I wish is for you to understand."

"What should I understand?" Genji attacked again, and yet again the Cultist avoided his attack, spinning just out of the way, his movements Spartan, not a single inch of his body moving out of tune, and Genji's eyes followed him, the curve of his hooded back, the shackled wrists, and when he caught himself staring, he berated himself. "Believe it or not, I am not quite as versed in riddles as you are. Unless you speak plainly, I will not understand."

That made the Cultist pause, tilting his head to the side –yet another familiar gesture, but Genji, for some reason, could not place it. The tentacles on his mouth wriggled lazily, and drew Genji's attention.

All of the Cultist made Genji feel curious, intrigued, and perhaps that might be part of the reason he wished to offer the Cultist a way to redeem himself. It was such a waste for that skilled, intelligent…. creature?… to be siding with the enemy.

"Indeed, I have noticed this, but there is no way I could ever be clearer than I am, or else…" one of Cultist's hands flew to his throat, partially obscured by his hood, and Genji wondered, once again, what that gesture meant.

He'd seen him do it often, in the past, over the course of the months they'd faced one another in combat.

It came up only once in a conversation, but then the Cultist had been tense, strained, in ways he'd never been. Genji had thought the matter important, but in the middle of a battle, with other monsters coming out to fight, he had not pursued such thought.

"Throat aching, Cultist?" he called out, and just because the idea of talking was still uncomfortable, though they were doing exactly this, Genji threw another handful of green shuriken.

This time, the Cultist caught one of them in his hand, apparently unharmed despite the nature of Genji's weapon –yet another detail that baffled Genji– and twirled it in his fingers, slowly.

"Robotic creatures do not… ache, in such a way," was the cryptic answer, and though his voice sounded weird, glitchy, Genji froze.

Robotic creature.

He'd known the Cultist for months now, and though he did look… not entirely organic, he'd pushed the thought back, hard pressed to notice much when his interest was elsewhere, but somehow the thought seemed more important now.

"Does seem to bother you a lot, though."

To that, the Cultist chuckled again, and then, surprising Genji who had not expected it, he darted forwards.

He was not fast –not to Genji's level at least– but he caught Genji unaware, and was able to get close enough to him that he could have seriously harmed him if he so chose… and yet he did not.

Instead, the Cultist ran one finger down the side of Genji's sentai mask, from cheek to chin, slowly.

The gesture was oddly intimate, and Genji felt his cheeks burn crimson at the idea, unsure how to take such action, nor his own reaction to it.

"I–"

"Do you worry, sentai, about my health?" there was amusement in his tone, and yet… the same fondness as before, and it made Genji ache, somehow, for something he knew hot how to decipher. "How… wonderful. To think you would feel such way towards me…"

"I do not!" the words were out of his mouth before he could stop them, but the quick denial was too abrupt to sound honest, and it was not.

Somehow, for some reason, Genji did care.

It was perhaps his fascination with the Cultist, or the conversations they had about idle things or about their respective stance in their conflict, or the mind games the Cultist always seemed to have, or perhaps it was because a part of Genji was, not just intrigued, but attracted, to the Cultist, or… or…

Genji's head snapped back, refusing to acknowledge such thoughts.

"Oh, how disappointing." And yet the Cultist's voice was still amused, and somehow pleased. "I will manage to make you understand, soon. Somehow."

The hand was still against his chin, Genji realised, but as he moved to bat it away, the motion misplaced the Cultist's hood just enough that he could catch a quick, fleeting view of his neck.

There was… a necklace, perhaps, or a collar of sorts, around his neck, snugly fit between his pistons.

It was similar to the one Genji had seen other omnics wear as fashion statement, but it was glowing green, just like the Cultist's forehead array, which he now knew was mechanic, not organic as he'd thought it was before.

Somehow, he suspected this was not just for fashion, but he could not understand the connection… if there was one.

Instead of fixing on such tiny details, Genji chose to move away from the Cultist, refusing to allow himself the leisure of thinking about the closeness and the monster's ease around him, and instead got ready to fight once again.

"Such hurry," the Cultist murmured, though there was, yet again, a teasing tone to his voice that Genji could not understand. "Do you need to end this pleasant meeting so soon? I would not wish to hold you up if you have any other… plans."

With a startled yelp, Genji remembered he'd been in the middle of a date with Zenyatta –sweet, darling Zenyatta, so precious in his new sweater– and felt a wave of shame and embarrassment because in the heat of the moment he'd managed to forget about it.

"Of course I have other plans –even a quiet evening alone would be better than having to be here," his tone was challenging, as if daring the Cultist to offer him an alternative.

What he got, instead, was a low, amused chuckle. "Oh, you do not truly believe that. It is why I chose to come to you…" again, the Cultist advanced, extending one hand towards Genji, yet this time Genji resisted and moved away, and though the Cultist did not attempt to reach out for him again, he also did not appear to be upset by the obvious rejection. "All I wish is for you to realise a few things, green sentai –for there is no one else I would trust with… this."

The Cultist made a small motion with both hands, appearing to encompass his whole body, but the way his wrists were angled made Genji think he was simply pointing at his hooded face, or… perhaps, at his neck.

Again, Genji felt as if he was missing something important, but at the moment, it was nothing he wished to think about.

He took a step back and readied his hand, the blade coming into existence through the powers he called forth.

"No time for playing, I have somewhere to be, and it is way more important than you." He grinned under his mask, cheeky and self-assured, and was not surprised when the Cultist instead relented, moving back into a contemplative stance.

After all, he rarely fought, and Genji had not given him enough of an incentive to, this time.

"Hmmm… I see. Well then. Until next time, yes?" and fast, faster than Genji could usually see him move, the Cultist darted forwards, invading Genji's personal space again.

He gasped, and a familiar smell –something metallic with a lingering scent underneath he could not readily place– wafted to his nostrils, sweet and intoxicating.

"I will let you go back to your date, sentai. There is still time, after all."

Cultist's hand travelled down Genji's chest, making him shiver, and then he stepped away, the tentacles on his mouth wriggling slowly, lazily, and then he was gone, leaving Genji behind, befuddled and wide-eyed, heart racing in his chest.

It was only much later that he remembered the Cultist's words and wondered, surprised and worried –how did the Cultist know he'd been in the middle of a date?


	2. Chapter 2

Second chapter for you ppl! If you want to read the last chapter, you can find it on my ao3, and it's linked to an unofficial sequel written by a friend inspired by this fic :)

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 **Rating** : Mature for fighting scenes n the like, just to be safe

 **Warnings:** none.

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 **Chapter 02**

It was much later when Genji finally managed to get back to his house.

He'd needed to reconvene with the rest of the sentai first to make sure they were alright, and found out that while he'd been spending some alone time with the Cultist, they had managed to round up all the remaining monsters with ease before defeating them.

Spread out as they had been, they were having a hard time fighting the monsters until at one point, for some reason, the creatures had deflated as if in pain, and the sentai used this chance to finish them off before they could recover.

Only Angela, Jesse and Hanzo were actually sentai like Genji –the other two, Ana and Jack, were older masters who had renounced active service and were only called in for help whenever there was no other option, and Genji did feel a bit bad to have asked for the night off when he knew that Lucio, Hana and Lena were all home nursing a cold.

Hanzo, grateful to see his little brother still in one piece, had asked him about the monster, and though Genji had only seen the body after the Cultist had left, he could at least report its definite death.

"It seems it was that one controlling the rest," Angela murmured, kneeling near one of the quickly deteriorating bodies of the monsters. "These were… not quite clones, but something similar. The monster must have split in multiple copies, because all the monsters we fought in different areas of the mall are identical. Their inexplicable bout of weakness coincides with green sentai's arrival on the scene."

"It is probable the monster created a set of copies to send to us, knowing that we would not be able to best them without defeating the original," Ana muttered, shaking her head, and though her face was hidden by her mask, Genji could hear the frown in her voice. "The original thought that he was safe since none of us could chase him, but he clearly did not expect green sentai to join the fight."

Genji hummed thoughtfully. He had not been the one to slain the monster –in fact, he wondered if he, alone, would have sufficed– but he kept quiet, not wanting to reveal to the others about his encounter with the Cultist.

He had to wonder though… did the Cultist know about the monster's powers when he had decided to slain it? He wouldn't have wanted to _aid_ the sentai, but…

"Well then, green sentai!" Angela turned to look at him, and her tone was amused. "It might not be as soon as you had hoped, but it is as soon as we could manage. You are free to go back home to… whatever it is you were doing."

"Probably just enjoying some time with his friends," Hanzo shrugged, not particularly bothered by it.

Genji decided that for the sake of going back home as early as possible, he would not mention that he was actually on a date with one of said friends and leave it at that –after all, albeit well-intentioned, Hanzo butting his nose in Genji's business was not really all that welcomed, even more so when it came to Zenyatta.

With a wave, Genji left.

He took the same shortcut as before, using the rooftops as his personal, private road, and arrived in front of his apartment only two and a half hours after he'd left, which was, if not a record, at least a rewarding feat.

The truly rewarding thing, though, was to find Zenyatta asleep on his couch, back pressed against the soft cushions and hands abandoned on his lap, holovision lit on some Spanish telenovela Genji had never heard about.

Genji's heart –that traitorous bastard– lurched in his chest at the sight, the view so beautiful to him it was almost too much. He lingered by the door, butterflies in his chest and cheeks aflame, for what felt like forever, admiring Zenyatta's profile in the dark, only lit by the holovision light and by the soft, teal glow of his own forehead array.

Sometimes, Genji felt he was truly lucky.

Finally, he stepped closer, reluctant to disturb the peaceful sight but wishing for Zenyatta to wake.

"I'm back," he murmured, and even those words felt sweet on his lips as he touched Zenyatta's shoulder.

Maybe due to the comfortable pose, or the fact that his sweater moved as Zenyatta roused from his cycle of sleep, Genji was treated to a view of his neck pistons shifting as he arched his neck, stretching his mechanical servos, and was reminded that just like many other omnics he'd seen, Zenyatta also had that pretty black collar around his neck.

He'd never taken Zenyatta as someone willing to follow fashion trends, but it looked good on him.

Then again, everything did, on Zenyatta.

"You're back," Zenyatta hummed, his voice so quiet it was almost a murmur. "Welcome back, Genji."

Genji's cheeks burned crimson and he felt the sudden impulse to lean forwards and press a kiss against the surface of Zenyatta's face plate, the need so strong it almost burned him out.

Again he did not have time to overthink his own desires because tilting his head forwards, Zenyatta pressed the edge of his mouth piece against Genji's cheek and he felt a small trickle of omnic energy lick his skin.

For the second time, Zenyatta had kissed him first. Genji needed to up his game.

"Forgive me," Zenyatta moved away, sounding almost self-conscious. "I must have fallen asleep as I was waiting for you. How long…" he paused, checking his own inner clock. "Oh. It is… quite late."

"Zenyatta, I am so sorry about my emergency. I… Hanzo called and I couldn't–"

"Genji." Zenyatta's hand wrapped around one of his own, interrupting his hasty apology, "You have nothing to apologize for. I know that you are close to your brother, and you wish to do right by him. I do not mind. If I wanted to go home, I would have left already, but I chose to stay."

Genji licked his lips, so content and happy he knew it must have been obvious by the wide grin on his face. He shuffled to sit on the couch at Zenyatta's side, pleased when Zenyatta still held his hand. "Thank you for waiting for me, Zenyatta. You being here is… so much better than coming back to an empty house."

"Oh… I understand more than you think." There was a discordant tone to Zenyatta's voice that Genji did not miss, and he frowned, surprised.

"Why… oh, is it because Mondatta keeps having to go out of town for his sermons? He has been so busy these past few months I don't' think I've seen him even once around…" Genji hesitated, racking his brain. "I don't think I saw him on the news either. Weird. I thought the media followed him around all the time."

The hand around his own tightened enough that for a moment Genji was concerned –though Zenyatta's face could not convey any emotion, Genji could read him pretty well, and the edge of… wariness… he picked up from the way his shoulders were drawn back, head tilted low to avoid meeting Genji's gaze… it was concerning.

"… Zenyatta? Is there… is there something wrong with…"

For a few seconds, Zenyatta did not answer, though his shoulders twitched, as if in pain, and he quickly tugged up the collar of his sweater; had he not been an omnic, Genji would have read that action as Zenyatta being cold, or maybe wishing to hide his face, but as it was he did not quite understand.

"I… Genji, I–" something glitched in Zenyatta's voice, and Genji almost flinched away, the sound grating to his ears. Zenyatta's shoulders slumped a little, his fans spinning just a little bit faster, as if compensating for something. "No, Genji," he finally murmured. "But my brother, he… he has been sick, lately."

"Sick? Ho-how? There were no reports and… you said nothing?"

"It is not… life threatening," Zenyatta still did not look at him, but his tone conveyed enough pain Genji could understand his reticence. "But he had to be taken… somewhere else, and it was done quietly, so no one knew. I could… not tell you, either."

"Yet it is something that worries you, and you're left behind unable to do anything about it." Genji sighed, one arm coming to rest around Zenyatta's shoulders. "I'm sorry if I asked you out when you are so worried… I had no idea, but…"

"No, Genji. I want… I love spending time with you. It delights me. Your company makes this situation… much more bearable, even under… these circumstances." Zenyatta's other hand remained around his neck, wrapped tightly around it. "I did not wish to taint our time together with such dark thoughts, and yet…"

"He'll be alright, Zen. Mondatta will come back safely, and will go back to nagging at you for being around me in no time."

That stole a little, shaken laugh from Zenyatta's synth, which Genji counted as a win. "Why don't we just… watch a movie together and you stay here, tonight?" Zenyatta, startled, looked at him and he rushed on "I mean, you… don't really want to go home, right? Because right now Mondatta isn't…" at Zenyatta's curt nod, he continued with a little more determination, "I also do not want to stay here by myself. I'm not… I'm not offering because we're dating, Zen. I'm offering as your friend, just like before. You stay the night and we both get some company."

Zenyatta's shoulders trembled a bit, but he nodded, leaning heavily against Genji's chest, and Genji did not need any further prompting to wrap both arms around Zenyatta's shoulders, holding him tightly.

"… thank you, Genji."

"No problem, Zen. Anytime."

"You were supposed to distract him until the other sentai were separated and defeated. What, exactly, went wrong?"

Standing outside of the balcony of Genji's apartment, Zenyatta looked down at the holographic projection of the person video-calling him, the image tinged in blue and faltering slightly in the moonlight.

Inside, Genji was deeply asleep on the couch, snoring lightly, unaware that Zenyatta had quietly left his side when his phone had started to vibrate, rousing him from his own sleeping cycle.

"It is not my fault he believes his duty as a sentai ranger to be more important than dating me," Zenyatta replied, smugness bleeding into his tone. There was no bitterness in him at all –in fact, he was proud of that. "If I had tried to stop him, he would have started to suspect that I know something. Wouldn't that have been counterproductive?"

On the other side of the screen, the person snorted. "It is not me you gotta convince, bot, it's _them_. " she leaned forwards, lips curled up in what could have passed for a smile if it wasn't so stretched out. "Remember we've got some leeway on ya, so you'd better behave. You're lucky this was just a test run, though it's not clear how your pretty boyfriend managed to defeat the copycat monster we sent his way."

Zenyatta hesitated, fingers curled up together in front of him in what he hoped would be a passable compliant pose.

"He is stronger than you think," he finally said, and though spoken to hide who truly had defeated the monster, he did believe his words. "As he constantly proves during every fight."

"Listen, Zenyatta…" the screen flickered, and the caller leaned forwards enough that most of the screen became a close-up of her face. "I am not saying you can't have some fun with the guy. He's pretty cute –and he has quite the hot butt aaaah yes… but if you don't start working harder on becoming a hindrance for him, they're going to get pretty mad and then your brother…" she made a curt motion with her hand, mimicking cutting wires –neck wires, to be exact. " _Comprende_?"

Zenyatta's core stuttered, and he had to fight to keep his calm demeanour, discord swelling within his chest.

"So I'm.. sorry about that, but they said you need to learn where you stand here."

That was all Zenyatta had as a warning. With a flicker of her wrist, her gloves sparkled purple and Zenyatta felt pain blossom through his body, electricity cutting through his wires and circuits, relentless and absolute.

He dropped onto the floor with a wheezing gasp, his voice box disabled as the collar he wore around his neck sent wave after wave of electric shocks through his body.

Again and again, the punishment for failing to obey his orders washed through him until he was left on the ground, gasping and trembling, fingers twitching against the bricks of the balcony.

"If this doesn't work, they'll have to find a better way to use you."

The video-call ended with a sharp click, and Zenyatta was left alone in the night, attempting to recover, synth crackling and servos shaking.

"It's been really quiet today, isn't it?" scouting ahead, Genji squinted against the sun shining over the reflective surfaces of the surrounding skyscrapers.

"Hmmm–hmmm," Lucio tapped his rollerblades on the surface of the railing he was idly strolling on, shifting his body easily to keep his balance. "It's not just today, it's been… a quiet week, isn't it?"

Above them, shooting across the sky and twisting to leave behind puffy pink clouds against the blue, Hana manoeuvred her mech to move closer to them, her voice crackling into their communication devices. "Seems like those monsters know when to keep their distance!"

"Well, that's just way less work for us, overall," Genji perched on the corner of a building and hummed, in a good mood. "Means I'll be able to see Zenyatta today!"

And that did make him happy. He'd noticed Zenyatta grow ever so distant for the past couple weeks, ever since his admission about Mondatta's health, and Genji was worried that his constantly asking him about it had left Zenyatta even more distraught than before.

Zenyatta was… selfless, and never wished to let others see him in pain if he could avoid it, but with something like Mondatta's health, he would be probably worrying himself sick all on his own, and Genji wanted to make him realise he was not alone in this. He did not have to bear such heavy weight without sharing the burden with others –with _Genji_ , who was willing, who loved him, who was _there_ – and Genji wanted to make sure he knew, in any way he could.

So, even if he could do nothing about Mondatta, at least he could offer his presence, and reassure him that he was going nowhere.

"Ooooh, someone's smitten~!" Hana chuckled, and with a few, practiced twists of her mech, she formed a heart-shaped cloud trail that was soon blown away by the wind currents.

"Always said you two were a good match," Lucio stretched his body, and though his sentai mask covered his face, Genji could hear the smirk even if he could not see it. "It's getting serious, is it?"

Flustered under his own mask, Genji hunched his shoulders a bit but nodded, pleased with himself. "Yeah. We've been friends for a long time and now it's just… he's…" fumbling with his words, Genji thought about how ironic it was for him, who used to flirt and fool around with so many people in the past, to be now tongue-tied over someone he did really like. "I'm happy."

For a few seconds, the three remained silent as they kept moving across the rooftops, Genji ahead with his speedy bounced, followed by Lucio skating idly and Hana up in the sky.

"You planning on telling him soon, then?" Hana broke the silence next, her voice a little more subdued, and it was obvious what she meant.

"I… I don't know." Genji bit down on his lower lip, suddenly nervous. "I mean, it might be dangerous if he knew. It's… this job is…" he paused, considering what he wanted to say. "Zenyatta knows how to fight, I've seen it, but… what we're doing as sentai is dangerous and I don't want him to be in any danger just because he knows I'm the green sentai. I want him to be _safe_."

"I get you buddy, but he has a right to know why you keep flunking out of your dates together to go somewhere just 'cause your brother calls you." Lucio shrugged, spinning around on his skates. "On that note, we got no problem covering you with Hanzo but I think he ought to know you've been tying the knot with your friend for the past month or so, you know."

"I know, I _know_ , I just don't like him butting his nose in my stuff, and…" Genji shuffled, crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't want him to try saying something mean about Zenyatta again."

"He stopped doing it early on, though," Hana interjected, her voice still amused. "I'm pretty sure none of us were happy about his grumpy ass."

Both Lucio and Genji chuckled at that, and Genji tried to relax. It was true –at first, Hanzo had made a few… disparaging comments about Zenyatta, when he and Genji had started being friendly, but none of the others had been happy about it, first of all Genji, and he'd quickly stopped. Genji was sure he'd changed his mind –Zenyatta was… sweet, and gentle, and nice, and honestly no one who'd met him could ever hate him, not even omnic haters, Genji was sure of it– but the idea of having to share Zenyatta with anyone… he didn't like it.

He liked this private, precious time he spent with Zenyatta without having to worry about what anyone else thought, it made him feel better even after a day of fighting monsters, or squabbling with his brother about this or that.

Yet, Lucio was right –he ought Zenyatta to be honest about them dating, because he did not want him to believe he was hiding their relationship out of shame or embarrassment.

"I'll tell him," he finally muttered, lips set in a determined line. "I can always send my dragon to bite his butt if he doesn't behave."

"Don't worry buddy, we'd be right behind you with that," Lucio reassured him, laughter obvious in his tone. "Hey, what about we keep this patrol up and you cut it short and go pick Zenyatta up instead? This is boring and it's not going to change anytime soon, but we can definitely handle it."

"What if something–"

"If anything happens, you're just a call away, right? And maybe this time you can actually tell Zen where you're going," Hana interjected. "C'mon, lover boy, accept this gift and off you go!"

With a soft laugh, Genji leaned forwards and bumped Lucio's offered fist with his own. "I owe you both one," he flashed them a thumbs up since he couldn't flash them a smile, and then darted sideways, directed at Zenyatta's apartment.

The idea that he could get to see Zenyatta again and earlier than expected made Genji's heart race in happiness. He enjoyed their time together, enjoyed Zenyatta himself so much, and was so glad he'd appeared in his life, and Lucio and Hana were right –he ought to tell him about his secret identity, if only to come clean about his recurring disappearances.

The trip to Zenyatta's house took less time than usual, if only because Genji entertained himself with daydreaming about what Zenyatta's reaction could be –part of him, really self-indulgent if he had to admit it with himself, thought up a few nice settings, some of which ended in many kisses and in a wooed, charmed Zenyatta fawning over him for protecting the city, though Genji felt foolish in thinking so. Zenyatta mentioned the sentai rangers rarely if at all, but he did appear grateful and impressed with their job, so… Genji still hoped in a positive reaction.

Or a more than positive one.

No one could fault him for that, right?

His happy, bubbly dreams came to a sudden halt the moment he reached the apartment complex where Zenyatta lived.

Something… something was wrong, and all of sudden Genji's instincts went off, alarms flaring up in the back of his head, enough that his dragon roused at the edge of his consciousness.

The apartment complex housed quite a lot of omnics, attracted by the cheap prices, and usually there were always a lot of them mulling about, or even humans coming to visit. The area was residential and lived in and at most times of the day and night there would be life and chatter but…

Around him, the complex was empty, and eerily silent.

Genji's heart jumped in his throat as he landed out of sight, quickly releasing his sentai form to turn back to being just Genji, and then made his way up the stairs and to Zenyatta's apartment, which was on the second to last floor, third apartment on the right.

His fears flared up twice as much when he arrived at the entrance and found the door ajar, which… Zenyatta never left it open like this, not when there were thieves and who-knew-what around, hoping to steal from an omnic all they owned.

"Zenyatta?" Genji entered slowly, warily, ready for anything that could potentially be waiting for him inside… and then stopped dead.

The house was a mess.

All the knick-knacks and ornaments Zenyatta owned, which were usually on display on various shelves, together with Mondatta's stuff, were scattered across the room. Most of the furniture had been moved as if pushed around by force as someone shoved their way inside, and there were… scratch marks on them, and on the walls, too.

Books, chairs, piles of documents… they were all over the floor too, giving the room the appearance of a battlefield.

Now panicking, Genji ran around the apartment, looking for clues; Mondatta's room appeared empty and cold, as if abandoned, the door parted slightly, while Zenyatta's room, albeit lived in, was equally empty. Neither seemed in the same state of disarray as the sitting room, but there was nobody there.

"Zenyatta! Where are you?! Answer me!"

No answer.

Genji ran back to the sitting room, eyes wide and breath coming out in quick, panicking gasps, but there was nothing that could tell him what had happened.

Zenyatta was gone, and–

His phone rang in his back pocket, making him jolt, and he fumbled with it, hoping it was not Lucio calling him for help – _he_ was the one who needed help right now, Zenyatta was gone and he was panicking and did not know where he could be and…

On his screen, Zenyatta's name flashed to the side, followed by the picture Genji had set for whenever Zenyatta called him.

"Zenyatta?! Where are you?! What happened?! Are you safe?!" hands trembling, Genji almost screamed into his phone, hoping against hope that Zenyatta would be able to give him a reasonable answer, one that could help him _understand_.

"Your pretty boyfriend is not here, Shimada Genji," someone murmured on the other side of the phone, voice low and pleased, and Genji stiffened. "Or should I say… _green sentai_?"

In that instant, all of Genji's world tunnelled into a single, tiny speckle of sharp focus, his body going still in shock.

How–

"I thought I could extend an invitation for a meeting," the voice continued, apparently unperturbed by the silence on the other end of the phone, "So what do you say? I have your pretty, cute omnic with me and he seems so scared, and pathetic, calling your name over and over. Oh, he's confused. He didn't even know he was the boyfriend of such… distinguished public figure now, did he?"

"Leave Zenyatta out of this!" finding his words again, voice filled with venom, Genji hissed and clenched his hands on the phone so hard he could feel it creak in his grip. "What do you want?!"

"I do not think it would be fair to leave him out of this, green sentai. After all, being your boyfriend makes him a… very targetable prey, is it not?" the voice laughed, amused and mocking. "I want you to come to the location I'm sending to your phone. Alone. I might just give you back your toy if you comply and obey."

The line went dead, and for a second Genji gaped, motionless, before he scrambled to open his phone again and check where Zenyatta was.

He did not care if this was supposed to be a trap –nothing mattered except getting Zenyatta back. Nothing.

They would soon discover that no one could dare threaten the life of someone Genji cared so much for without setting off the rage of a dragon.


	3. Chapter 3

This is the last chapter :) if you feel like reading more, follow my profile's link to my AO3, where I have linked the piece someone wrote as a follow up to this fic! :D

…–…–…–…–…–…

 **Chapter 03**

The coordinates the unknown person had sent Genji brought him to the outskirts of the city, to an area that had been under renovation after a monster had crashed through it after growing ten times its original size.

Genji had changed to his sentai attire even before leaving Zenyatta's apartment, only pausing enough to take notice that the area was empty probably because most of the residents had been scared away by whatever had kidnapped Zenyatta.

As he ran, pushing his body to its limits, Genji could not stop the thoughts that pushed their way in his head, feeling a growing guilt in his chest at the thought of Zenyatta being in danger because of him.

If he'd told Zenyatta before that he was a sentai, maybe it would have prevented this from happening –maybe Zenyatta would have known to call for help, or maybe he would have been warier, instead of…

Or maybe Zenyatta would have cut their bond before it started, to make sure Genji never had the chance to be in such a situation –Zenyatta always was a selfless sort of person, after all.

Either way, Genji reassured himself, he would make things right. He would make sure no one would ever target him ever again.

In fact, how could anyone know that Genji was the sentai? If it became of public knowledge, then it would be really bad –they were using their secret identities to keep things under control, but if it got out…

Shit.

And still, Zenyatta had been caught and was being used as a bait. It made Genji _furious_ , his dragon roaring in the back of his mind, seeking to hurt and destroy.

He knew he should at least warn someone –Lucio, Jesse, Hanzo, or his mentor even, but… he did not care. He just wanted Zenyatta back.

The meeting place was, apparently, an empty parking lot. There were still pieces of concrete bulging up, making the ground irregular, but it had been cleaned of most of the rubbish and the broken cars. As Genji jumped down in the middle of it, looking around, searching, he could see no trace of anyone there. Not Zenyatta, nor whoever had captured him.

"I'm here!" he called out in the eerie silence. "Let Zenyatta go now! I got here just as you said!"

There was no answer, but Genji did not despair, and instead of standing still, he moved around, scanning the area again with both his senses and the tech available to his suit. His immediate surroundings were empty, but the suit's tracking system registered something coming from one of the buildings nearby –one of the few still standing, though abandoned– so he rushed that way, heart thundering in his chest.

His footsteps echoed in the silence as he advanced through the empty corridors, his senses spread out and heightened by the dragon inside him giving him assistance, setting him on a path, his pace growing more and more hurried as he pushed door after door open, calling Zenyatta's name, until–

At last, he made it through the innermost part of the building, reaching what looked like a big hall for conference meetings, though now it was almost completely empty, save for rows of chairs piled up in a corner and some broken tables on the other side of the room.

Right in the middle of it, sitting in silence and with his array powered off, was Zenyatta.

"Zenyatta!" feeling a sliver of hope, Genji took two steps into the room, lifting one hand towards him. "Are you unharmed?!"

Zenyatta's forehead array powered on, teal flickering to light, and he turned to look at Genji.

"… oh." There was a sorrowful tone to his voice even as he did not move from his crouch. "You came."

"Of course I came! I would never leave you in danger! Zenyatta, I'm so sorry, I–"

"I apologize." Zenyatta interrupted him quietly, so quietly, shoulders hanging low, head tilted to the ground. He looked… sad. Defeated. "I truly hoped you would not come."

Genji opened his mouth, at loss for what to say so he could reassure Zenyatta that nothing was wrong, and that he would definitely save him, and then Zenyatta slowly stood up. He appeared unharmed, shoulders slumped down, head hanging low, and refused to look his way.

Behind him, what had looked like a broken down holovision screen flickered on, though it did not show anyone on it, merely a familiar symbol to Genji –the symbol of Talon.

"Oh, don't say things like that, Zenyatta, dear," the same voice who'd called Genji spoke up, her tone mockingly sweet. "If he hadn't come, we would have needed to truly get rid of you. You have been nothing if not… unhelpful so far."

Genji frowned at the screen; the fact that there was no one to face was putting him off, making him even warier.

"Don't speak to him like this," he hissed. "Why are you not here?! I can just pick up Zenyatta now and–"

A laughter stopped him, just as much as seeing Zenyatta flinch in front of him.

"I do not need to be there, Shimada Genji–" and that made Genji flinch as well, the reminder that now Zenyatta knew who he was "–because you will not have to face _me_." A pause, as Genji looked around, expecting to see a monster or an army pop out to surround him anytime now, "You will face my pet."

Refusing to take the bait, Genji focused on Zenyatta. "Zenyatta, who brought you here? You don't have to worry, I will make sure you come back home unscathed and then I will explain."

For a moment, Zenyatta did nothing –he simply stood there, unmoving, as if not even registering Genji's words, then…

The collar around his neck started to glow a sickly purple.

The woman spoke again. "Oh, and still so clueless… sentai, don't you realise it now? Your enemy… my pet… is right there in front of you."

"Genji I'm… I'm so sorry." Zenyatta murmured, still unable to look up to face him. "I have not been truthful to you, either. I have… known you were green sentai for a long while, now."

That made Genji falter, shock making him lose his wary tension. "Wha–"

"You see, my dear sentai, you have been deceived." The voice picked up again, sounding so pleased, sneering at Genji from the speakers around the room, and it made him grit his teeth under his mask. "Unfortunately, it did not bring us the results we were expecting. My pet… proved to be unsuccessful in his constant attempts to lure you away, make you lose focus in your work. We made him to be of use so carefully, only to have it be for naught." Every word was like a spear, and Genji's eyes grew wide as he started to understand– "That fool, thinking that trying to push you away would make us think we could not work around it, somehow. If fooling you did not work, then… we had to try this one last resort. And… I'm so glad to say it worked! You did come, so… my dear pet, you weren't as unsuccessful, in the end… you got the sentai right where we wanted him. And now… you can truly do your job and get rid of him… forever."

Genji took a step back, confused, hurt and in denial, and looked over at Zenyatta, eyes wide behind his visor. "Zenyatta, what is she saying?"

Slowly, almost sluggishly, Zenyatta's head rose to meet his gaze. "Genji, I–"

The collar around his neck flared up all of sudden, and Zenyatta let out a soft, pained scream, then, under Genji's shocked eyes, green light enveloped his frame, a sickly green that was familiar to him in a way that was not clear until the light abated and dimmed, and Genji took a step back in shock.

Instead of the familiar faceplate of his love, the Cultist was standing there, the tentacles on his face plate wriggling slowly, and underneath the dark cape, Genji could see the collar burn an ominous green.

Despite having seen it happen in front of him, Genji's brain took some time to actually understand what he was seeing, the truth of it too much for him to bear.

"I… Z-Zenyatta, you…" the words came out choked through his gritted teeth, and Genji realised, distantly, that he felt a painful pressure on his chest, right where his heart was.

He _hurt_ –a mix of shock and betrayal so strong it felt like a punch, and he had no idea how to process the sight.

Zenyatta's arms parted as if to bare himself to Genji, the broken shackles at his wrists clanking softly in the silence, and then nine projectiles came rushing from somewhere among the rubble, circling Zenyatta's frame.

His orbs, Genji's brain supplied. He'd completely forgot Zenyatta had them, though he rarely parted from them, so much that the sight of him standing there without them had not looked strange to him, because if he'd been captured, he would not have them, but… he'd kept them hidden away, and though he'd never seen the Cultist with orbs before, now he could understand why.

They were a distinctive feature of Zenyatta –flying orbs would easily link the Cultist to him, making him recognizable even with his appearance so changed.

Even the orbs were different; gone was the soft teal glow and the simple patterns, now they were a darker golden, and there were… eyes on them –green eyes that twitched and looked around with black, slit-like pupils.

Now it all made sense –the familiarity of some of the Cultist's behaviours and gestures, though his voice was different, lower in tune, and why there were things in him that tickled Genji in a way he had never managed to tie before… and now he did.

For months he'd faced the Cultist on an ambiguous battlefield, only to go back home to Zenyatta, without knowing.

"You… it's not… it can't be…" Genji clutched at his own chest, trying to claw out the pain he felt. "You've been… you were lying to me all this time?!"

"I have attempted to… talk with you… often," the Cultist's… Zenyatta's tone was halted, grinding like metal against metal, and Genji winced. It felt like he had trouble speaking. "I cannot…"

"Cease this useless banter," the voice startled them again, reminding Genji that they were not truly alone, and his shock would have to wait. "Speaking will be painful anyway, and you need to conserve all your energy for fighting him."

Zenyatta twitched, made what looked like an aborted motion to step back, but the collar around his neck flared purple, sparkles travelling down his arms and frame, paralyzing him.

"Destroy the sentai, Zenyatta, then report back to me afterwards and bring me the proof of his death in the form of his precious sword." There was laughter in the unknown voice, and it sounded like victory. "This is your last order."

Then the screen went black, and Genji and Zenyatta were left alone.

"Genji…" Zenyatta raised one arm towards him, though to Genji it almost looked like he was reluctant to do so. "Get… away."

"You lied to me!" Genji felt hot, shameful tears burn in his eyes, but he squeezed them shut and forced them down, forced all the pain down, all the anger, to focus instead of Zenyatta in front of him. "You were with Talon all this time?!"

"It's not–" the collar around his neck flared up again and Zenyatta's speech gurgled into silence, flickers of electricity flaring up from his voice box. He stiffened, almost stumbling, and there was something incredibly unnatural in the way he straightened his back again. "I'm sorry, Genji."

"Your apology means nothing to me! Did you lie about everything?! You've been Talon's… _pet_ … all this time?! Every time we met before, your attitude, your gestures, we met as enemies and yet… Does Mondatta even know what sort of–" Genji trailed off, the anger washed away all of sudden by the coils of his dragon brushing against his consciousness. The dull ache in his chest, together with the anger, the shock and the hurt, were making it hard to focus, were making Genji want to strike and lash out, and the dragon growled deep within his mind, the sound resonating with a cleansing clarity through him. Genji stuttered, and the surprise of his dragon stopping him was enough to snap him out of it.

No. It was… it wasn't _possible_.

Hurting as much as he was right now made it hard to focus on what was in front of him, reaction coming before thought, but…

Something was up, something Genji did not understand, but he still couldn't fully concentrate, he needed time, he needed to pull back and away from this situation, to think to–

Zenyatta moved.

He came at him with speed that was not surprising at all, swinging one arm forwards to try and catch Genji by surprise, following it up with a swift added assault from three of his orbs following the motion.

Genji caught the motion coming and managed to shift out of the way, though none-too-properly, fumbling and stumbling as he evaded, and it did not even come to him that he could summon his sword, since he had no intention to fight against Zenyatta, no matter what.

Zenyatta did not seem to care. He attacked again, shifting his weight, bringing his other arm up to follow Genji as he moved out of reach, assaulting him with speed that could rival his own, but…

Genji avoided him again, this time managing to roll away and jump back to his feet, landing quite a bit away from Zenyatta, putting space between them.

Faced with an opponent set on harming him, Genji found that the hall was not quite as large anymore; though it offered him enough space to jump and move to avoid getting hit, he had little space to manoeuvre, and if he ever wanted to retaliate, using his dragon would probably have the walls and ceiling give in and crumble on top of them… though he had no plans to fight back, not really.

Still, this was nothing if not a flicker of a thought in the back of his mind.

What caught most of his attention was the mechanical, forced way Zenyatta was moving.

He'd fought against the Cultist in the past –he'd admired his skills, though he'd never managed to link them to Zenyatta's own skills since Zenyatta rarely fought using his own body, always preferring to send his orbs to aid Genji in his training practices and this… this looked and felt wrong. Unnatural.

No. the way Zenyatta moved was different. He looked stilted, like every movement was stunted and halted, like he was fighting against moving, like he wasn't…

Zenyatta came at him again, his feet tapping heavily against the floor, and swung his leg forwards, long and straight, attacking him from the front while two orbs came at him from the side, and another one from the back.

Genji avoided the kick, parring it with one elbow, and felt the jarring pain of metal slamming into his armoured arm, protected but not fully against the sheer force of Zenyatta's leg. Then he twisted sideways, using his hand to conjure some shuriken that he used to par the orbs with, using their speed to lead them out of the way, spinning away from Zenyatta again.

He ran up the wall, bounced from one side of the room to another, keeping his distance, his eyes trained on Zenyatta as he followed him.

Not even once did he think about fighting back.

Instead, he tried to observe Zenyatta fight him and the more he had to evade, spinning just out of reach, jumping and twirling and once slamming his elbow against a wall, the more the certainty that this was all wrong grew inside him.

Gone was the swiftness, the perfect precision he'd always so admired in the way the Cultist fought.

There was something forced and methodical instead, and… Genji winced at thinking it, yet it was perfect for the situation –Zenyatta looked mechanical, like a strung-up doll.

The worst part was that despite this, he still fought without pulling punches, and it took all of Genji's remaining attention to keep both Zenyatta and his orbs from severely harming him.

The Cultist… Zenyatta… did not play around anymore. He aimed to hurt, he focused on every spot of Genji's body that would incapacitate him if properly hit, like his head, his sides and the softer parts of his arms and legs and chest area.

The orbs slammed at him from all sides, up, below and from behind, a blur of blinking eyes narrowly missing him, and Zenyatta followed them through on his blind spots.

Again and again, Genji found himself cornered, barely able to evade.

"Zenyatta–" Genji twirled out of the way, and one of the orbs grazed his shoulder, tipping him just enough out of balance that Zenyatta's next hit connected, and so did two of the orbs.

Pain flared up from his arm, then from his chest and from his outer thigh, and Genji stumbled, cursing and growing sloppy.

Zenyatta made a soft, choked up sound that sounded so much like a sob that Genji, once again, made a mistake and hesitated, only to be hit right in the face by a metallic flat palm.

It sent him crashing against a wall, hard enough that the wall, already weakened by the monster fighting that had destroyed the area, cracked and started to give in, though Genji was certainly not thinking about it, wheezing from the flare of pain on his face. Despite his visor, the hit _hurt_.

Blood rushing into his ears Genji stumbled away from the wall, narrowly avoiding a flurry of orbs that slammed inches from him, leaving indents in the wall, and when he looked up, Zenyatta was advancing on him, imposing and steady and…

"–I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry–"

Zenyatta was murmuring, so quietly, his tone glitching and stuttering with static, and Genji realised with a start that Zenyatta had not stopped saying the same thing over and over, though Genji had failed to notice it until then, his own heart thundering too loudly to hear such low, shaky tone.

And through the pain vibrating through his skull, Genji finally had a moment of clarity and understood.

Zenyatta was not in control of his own body –he was fighting, yes, but not willingly.

Every step of the way, he was forcing himself to stop, unable to control his own body as he came at Genji and attacked him, but he could not, and…

With this revelation, even with Genji's head spinning, suddenly everything made sense –of course he would look stilted if he was not in full control of his movements, obviously it would look mechanic, not like the beautiful, flowy and powerful motions he'd displayed in the past…

"Zenyatta…" Genji did not know what was the link between Zenyatta and Talon anymore, was not certain of anything, but his dragon had kept him from retaliating, and that… that was enough. He had to believe that Zenyatta would not, would _never_ , wish to harm him. "Why? What… what did they do to you?"

Again, Zenyatta attempted to speak even as he rushed at Genji, and now Genji did recognise the way his body sluggishly twitched and stumbled as Zenyatta fought against it, against whatever was controlling him. "Gen–j–i–" yet he could not speak, words crackling and failing.

"You… you were unable to ask for help, were you?" Genji felt the pit of despair in his chest widen further.

He had not noticed, for who knew how long, and had allowed Zenyatta to be captured and used like this…

"And you were actually… you tried to talk to me," again, another realization, even as Genji had to get up and stumble away so that the next attack of Zenyatta's orbs would not hit him. "When you were in this form. You tried to hint at things, but without going against… whatever…" Genji's eyes fell to the collar, still burning brightly around Zenyatta's neck, and his eyes narrowed into slits. "It's that thing, isn't it? It's controlling you."

Zenyatta did not speak, but he made a quiet, aborted motion with his head –a nod.

Straightening his back, Genji stretched his hand forwards, his sword coming to him in a green flash. "Don't worry, Zenyatta. I will save you. And with that cut off, we'll finally talk, and you'll be free."

Zenyatta chirped, defeated, even as he flung himself at Genji, stilted and yet just as deathly, but this time Genji had a newfound purpose, and instead of evading his attack, he answered to it.

A punch, then a swift kick to his side, and Genji parred the first and twirled out of the way before he swung his sword towards Zenyatta's neck with precision and strength, but Zenyatta parred the sword with an orb, the blade ricocheting to the side, and Genji's hand hurt from the vibration of the hit.

They came at one another again, and then once more, parring and swinging and deflecting, over and over again.

Genji did not wish to harm Zenyatta but Zenyatta did not share his same intentions, unfortunately, and his ruthless attacks were all aiming to harm him. Genji's face hurt, his shoulder ached, the throbbing almost distracting, and his leg also hurt, but he could not stop.

"Just… wait…" he muttered whenever he came closer to Zenyatta, desperate but not sloppy, seeking out an opening without giving one himself. "I'll find the right… moment…"

Even as they fought, even as Zenyatta's motions continued to be brutal yet halted, Genji spoke to him. He kept reassuring him that things would be fine with harsh breathing and ragged voice, that he would not let him be this hurt, that he could not allow Zenyatta to keep hurting so much, that he would be free, soon, and then Genji would be at his side. He would not leave, he promised it over and over, and when he saw Zenyatta shake his head minutely, chirps cracking into sobs, the litany of apologies never faltering, he knew it was not enough.

"Zenyatta… whatever happened that led you to be captured, that had them get you… I don't hold it against you. You are important to me and I hope… I hope I am, as well," he panted, narrowly missing Zenyatta's elbow to the neck, only to have an orb connect with his wrist, hard enough he dropped the sword, which clanked against the floor and away from him. "I love you, Zenyatta. We'll get through this. Together."

He could not say another word after that, because another orb connected with his jaw, sending him flying away from his sword, pain blurring his thoughts away for a moment, the roar of his dragon almost dull on the back of his mind.

Genji gasped out in pain when another orb connected down on his leg, his sentai armour only offering enough protection that his bones did not break under that strain, but it did not stop him from the pain that flashed through him, disrupting his thoughts.

A third orb smashed into his back, right between his shoulder blades, and he felt his lungs empty of all air as he fell forwards on his elbows and knees, wheezing and coughing.

Zenyatta was on him a split second later, hovering above him, and Genji had no warning as his foot connected with the side of Genji's chest, sending him once more against the wall, this time falling on his side, arms shaking and head spinning, unable to get up. Zenyatta followed him with heavy footsteps and Genji looked up, sight blurry, to see him stand there, both arms raised towards him, thick shadows curled around his wrists. Genji knew in that moment that maybe his words had been all lies –and that maybe… just maybe, he would not be able to keep his promise to Zenyatta.

Like this, standing above him, Zenyatta looked… terrifying.

Even knowing it was him –more so due to that– Genji could not help but feel a sliver of fear go through his body, cold as ice. His optical receptors, now burning green, looked like real eyes staring right through him, his forehead array had gone from nine teal points to a line of green ones, and even the tentacles surrounding his mouth piece were glowing softly of the same green, flickers of purple the only colour that seemed off on him, and they were coming from that thrice-damned collar around his neck.

To know that Zenyatta –the real Zenyatta, the one Genji loved– was there as well, and looking at him, unable to do anything, to stop himself even as he advanced on Genji to hurt him… Genji could not even think about how much that hurt.

This was different from the other times they'd fought and it was so clear now –Zenyatta had never tried to hurt him before, had only sparred with him, played games with him, toyed with a line that only Zenyatta knew about, and there were so many questions Genji had to ask him, so many, and yet…

He could not think about what it would feel like, to raise your hand to strike the person you loved, and to know Zenyatta had been forced into this…

Genji felt hot tears burn at the corner of his eyes, this time not out of betrayal but out of pity, and sadness, like liquid fire that made him blink and squeeze his eyes shut for a moment. He felt fear, yes, but… there was so much more he felt, he could not name all the emotions, so jumbled and confused within him.

Then, Zenyatta froze.

His body strained to move, a fraction of an inch forwards then stopping again, and the collar around his neck flared up, purple overcoming all of Zenyatta's frame, licks of electricity burning through Genji's retinas, making him wince even as he heard Zenyatta's synth break down as he screamed, the sound so much less of his voice and more and more synthetic, glitches and white noise only.

"Z–Zenyatt…a?"

"N… _no_ –"

And just as slowly, after what felt like forever, frozen and stuck unmoving like a statue… Zenyatta took a slow, hesitant step back.

The orbs, all poised to attack, all oozing the same violet mist, fell on the ground and rolled away, and they did not get back up.

"Zenyatta…" Genji raised one hand towards him, trembling, hopeful, only to see Zenyatta retreat again, fight against the conditioning, even as the purple flared up again and again. "Fight it, Zenyatta!"

His dragon uncoiled in the back of his mind, and Genji understood what it wanted. As Zenyatta continued his fight against his own body, pained little chirps leaving his synth, green energy mixing with violet and purple all around him, Genji shuffled to his feet, wobbling and hesitant, and reached for his sword, still abandoned where he'd dropped it.

Having it back in his hands filled him with relief, the roar of his dragon adding a boost to his dwindling energies.

He felt his legs shake underneath him and knew that despite everything he would not have much more than one single chance to make this right, and he would need all his focus, or he would be done for, and Zenyatta would…

No.

He could not let this happen.

Genji channelled all the energy he had left, feeling it rush through his body like a current, green lights flickering from his arms, his chest, his legs all up to his hands, then up to the edge of his blade, the hilt flashing as his dragon melted into the blade, turning it into the sharpest weapon one could wield on Earth.

He focused –focused his anger against Talon, against those who'd hurt him, against those who had planned to sic Zenyatta against him, who made them fight with one another, almost ruining the one good thing Genji had ever had in his life, and felt the anger turn into energy, licking at his skin, so hot it felt almost _cold_.

He was ready.

"Let's… do this," he wheezed. "Sentai Dragon Blade, ready to strike! Zenyatta, hang in there! Here… I… _**come**_!"

He dashed forwards, his dragon aiding him, giving him strength, and for a moment time stretched forwards, slowing down almost to a halt as he reached out towards Zenyatta, who was standing there, motionless, screaming and clutching at his own arms, in pain, waiting, fighting to protect Genji, _believing in him_ , and Genji screamed as well, spurred onwards and then he was close enough so he raised his sword and–

–slashed through Zenyatta's body, aiming for the collar on his neck.

His dragon roared and exploded out of the blade in a shining beacon of light, blinding Genji and their entire surroundings, the empty room disappearing into the searing light.

The dragon met resistance and then bit on it, slashed at it with its shining claws, passed right through Zenyatta's body, victorious, and roared as the collar was cut in half and fell off Zenyatta's neck, purple fizzing into nothing.

The light disappeared, and both Genji and Zenyatta remained standing still for a second longer, motionless, frozen in time, then–

Both collapsed on the ground, Genji's sentai attire reverting into his normal self, and the Cultist's appearance flickered, faded away in a blurry of violet hues that looked like transparent tentacles, leaving behind Zenyatta in his own body again, trembling and on the ground.

"Z… Zenyatta…?"

Zenyatta chirped, made a broken, hiccupping sob, and curled into a small ball, steam and smoke lifting from his shoulder blades and from the circuits on his lower back, overly exerted after his long fight against his own body.

Feeling like he'd just been mauled by a bear, Genji took a few moments to just breathe.

He had barely realised how quiet it had been as they fought, the only sound their bodies clashing against one another, Zenyatta's soft pleas and his own frantic reassurances, but now, everything was deathly quiet.

Zenyatta whimpered, his fans spinning loudly a few feet away from him, and yet it felt like he was so far, almost unreachable, and Genji's body hurt, and everything hurt, and Genji just wanted to lay there and sleep for at least a year.

His dragon was still there, in the back of his head, but it was soothed, calm, and almost purring, content in seeing its mate free again though just as tired.

Genji, though, hesitated still –stuck with not knowing if Zenyatta wanted him close, if he could still call himself his boyfriend when he'd failed him so much, when he'd failed them both so horribly, when…

"–s… sorry… G–Genji…"

Then it did not matter anymore. Genji stumbled on his hands and knees forwards, body flaring up in pain, but greater still was the pain of being away from Zenyatta, and then he was there, close to him, and he threw his arms around Zenyatta's shoulders, cradling his shivering body close, tears rolling down his cheeks as he held him as tightly as he could, taking and offering all the support he could.

"No, no, I'm sorry I did not notice how much pain you were going through, I was so blind, I'm so sorry–"

"G… Genji no, I couldn't… I never wanted to hurt you, I love y-you… s-so much, b-but they… they have Mond-datt-a and I,I–I–"

The truth spilled from Zenyatta's synth, each word like a broken shard right through Genji's heart.

Zenyatta had known about Genji's secret identity because of his aura –because he could sense it, and his dragon within him despite Genji's secrecy about it. He had been attracted to Genji for Genji, not for his sentai persona, and because Genji treated him normally, not like the brother of the famous Mondatta, and then…

And then they'd become close, and then Talon had found out about Zenyatta's own powers, the ones he kept hidden –his Cultist identity, hidden because of how much it looked like a monster, how Zenyatta had refused to change after being accused of things he'd never done, and then…

Then Talon had used him, and Zenyatta had started his own double life, forced to do Talon's bidding until he had tried to rebel, not wishing to harm Genji or the other sentai… and that was when Talon had decided to up the ante, kidnapping Mondatta as a way to keep their pawn under control, and then everything had stumbled away from Zenyatta, and he'd fallen deeper and deeper, unable to let Genji know, trapped and unwilling, until…

It was so clear now, after everything that had happened, and Genji cursed loudly and held Zenyatta even tighter, angry and hurt and seething, and thought about Mondatta, kept who knew where, and about Zenyatta who had been unable to do anything, and thought about everything and felt cheated, and even more angry.

Genji was startled by Zenyatta's gentle, trembling hands cradling his cheeks, and then his face was tilted down to meet Zenyatta's optical receptors.

Zenyatta's face plate was scratched and dirty, and wet with Genji's tears, and Genji fell in love all over again for him, despite the situation, despite everything. "G-Genji, f… forgiv–"

With a loud, angry hiss, Genji tugged Zenyatta closer and kissed the seam of his mouth, eager and desperate, his thumb trembling as it sought out Zenyatta's throat, caressing the edge of his voice box, feeling it hum and vibrate under his touch even as Zenyatta, after a moment of shock and hesitation, kissed him back just as hard, omnic energy washing over him like a balm.

"There is" he murmured between hungry, fluttery kisses, "nothing to forgive. We'll help Mondatta. We'll talk and figure this out and act. I'm not giving up on you. Never. Never ever. I still have to tell my brother about us. You still have to tell yours. We're going to bring Mondatta home. You're not alone. Never."

Zenyatta kissed him back again and again, wiping his tears away with trembling fingers, and nodded, not quite as reassured but warmed by Genji's conviction, by the rage he could feel deep within him, his senses so attuned to Genji's soul that at least for now, he could truly believe him.

After what felt like months of hell, trapped and controlled and restrained, in Genji's arms Zenyatta felt truly free.


End file.
